ACC Grant of Rights Deal Could Thwart Big Ten Expansion Advances

According to a CBS Sports report, the ACC is expected to sign a unanimous Grant of Rights agreement among its 15 members.

ACC presidents are in the process of clearing this with their departments. The agreement will go to 2026-27, the duration of the league's contract with ESPN. The deal is not official just yet but, barring an unforseen snag, will be completed.

Unless a league member decides to go to litigation to escape this down the road, the ACC believes a Grant of Rights will protect it from conference realignment poachers.

In a Grant of Rights deal, a school essentially relinquishes all media rights to the conference for use in a pooled distribution model. Jim Delany covets North Carolina and perhaps a few other ACC schools, but not enough to accept them without media rights.

Bigger picture, this might mark the last we hear about major conference expansion for a good while.

If a school doesn't sign, they can't be held to this rule. A simple majority of a group acting in their own personal interests can't be held up against a school that doesn't sign. The decision to change conferences is too sweeping and effects so many areas of an academic institution.
Imagine if Maryland is going belly up because of revenue problems, and is going to have to start cutting research and sports teams. They vote against this new rule, but 7 of the 12 ACC teams vote in favor... So Maryland is bound to the ACC until 2027???
No way this can work unless the decision is unanimous, IMO. Won't hold up in court.

I don't know how all this stuff works, but I can't believe a university would sign over its media rights since that is the primary way they make money beyond donations and tuition. Doesn't seem like a good idea regardless of the intent.

I agree. This is quite a gamble by the ACC commish. But maybe he felt he had no choice. He saw the writing on the wall. I guess he'll find out soon who is serious about that conference, and who is not. I know if I was the pres. of NC or FSU, I wouldn't sign that peice of paper. Probably time for them to bolt.

Will be very interesting to see how the likes of UVA, GT, and FSU react. I seem to remember that Maryland voted against the $50 million exit fee, and that was definitely an indication on where they stood. With all of the rumors (many not confirmed, albeit) surrounding FSU, I would not be surprised to see them drag their feet on this.

FSU voted against the exit fee as well. If Maryland prevails in their current legal battle because of this, FSU has the lever.
I agree, if the grant of rights agreement is passed, the ACC schools will be untouchable.

According to insiders at Scout.com, the B1G didn't see this coming. He said that the real issue is not the GOR it's that these schools are willing to sign it, meaning that they have completely shifted their thinking.

Interesting to think about how a court would view this down the road - given that AD's/etc change.
What is the next move? Texas? What AAU schools are out there? Kansas, Iowa State? Any chance that Mo would come over?

Many people proclaimed the ACC dead - prematurely.
So, what if the B1G grabbed Rutgers and Maryland? That was hardly the death knell for the ACC. UNC, VA, GT, Miami and FSU remained. This will be ND's conference, as ND fancies itself a "national" college football franchise, terrestrially-based in the mid-west and - with it's ACC affiliation - hq'd in the east. Cashing independence in for membership in a conference with academic heavyweights like the Tarheels, Yellow Jackets and Cavaliers will assuage the Irish boosters. And ND gets BC, Navy and its rivals in the PAC.
Jim Delany gets a mud-pack facial from ND...yet again.

Great way to protect themselves. Smart move. I think Delany wanted some ACC schools mainly for two reasons 1. Expand our media (money) footprint (obvious). 2. To weaken the ACC to the point that Notre Dame would join us and really strengthen the B1G.
We get dissed by the hot chick again. Try again in 5 years.